Quick plug connector for electric distribution system(s)

Abstract

An electrical connector adapted to be operatively connected to a wall outlet and to continuous outlet cables. The connector includes an insulated housing, neutral, ground and line contact means for making contact with the neutral, ground and line wires of the outlet cable, and a rotatable plug to be operatively connected to the wall outlet and for making contact to the neutral, ground, and line contact means.

I claim: 
     
       1. A removable electrical connector adapted to be operatively connected to a wall outlet having blade guides and a ground prong receiving aperture and further adapted to be operatively connected to a plurality of continuous outlet cables having a neutral wire, a ground wire and a line wire, said connector including: (a) an insulated housing comprising a case and a cover;   (b) a neutral contact means and a ground contact means and a line contact means for making contact with the neutral wires, ground wires and line wires of the plurality of continuous outlet cables respectively;   (c) a rotatable plug to be operatively connected to the wall outlet and for making contact to the ground contact means, the line contact means, and the neutral contact means; the rotatable plug comprising: a neutral blade contact having at a first end thereof a blade portion for connection to the wall outlet and at a second end a neutral contact edge for making contact with the neutral contact means;   a line blade contact having at a first end thereof a blade portion for connection to the wall outlet and at a second end a line contact edge for making contact with the line contact means;   a ground star contact having a flat cruciform and a ground prong extending from an underside of the cruciform for connection to the wall outlet, the flat cruciform having a plurality of extensions each one of said extensions having a ground contact edge for making contact with the ground contact means;   the rotatable plug being adapted to align the neutral blade portion and the line blade portion and the ground prong, the rotatable plug being rotatable to orient the neutral blade portion and line blade portion and the ground prong to mate with the blade guides and ground prong receiving apertures of the wall outlet;     the neutral contact means comprising a neutral contact flat ring for being contacted by the neutral contact edge of the rotatable plug and further having a plurality of arms extending outwardly from said flat ring, each of said arms having a neutral camming portion connected to a neutral cable engaging portion engageable with the neutral wire of a corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables, each of said neutral camming portions being biased in a retracted position wherein the electrical connector is mountable to and demountable from a corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables;   the line contact means comprising a line contact flat ring for being contacted by the line contact edge of the rotatable plug and further having a plurality of arms extending outwardly from said flat ring, each of said arms having a line camming portion connected to a line cable engaging portion engageable with the line wire of a corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables, each of said line camming portions being biased in a retracted position wherein the electrical connector is mountable to and demountable from a corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables;   the ground contact means comprising a plurality of ground contacts, each of said ground contacts having a rib which connects at one end to a shoulder for receiving contact with any one of the edges of the ground star contact, the rib connecting at a second end to a ground cable engaging portion engageable with the ground wire of a corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables, each of said ribs being biased in a retracted position wherein the electrical connector is mountable to and demountable from a corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables;   the cover of said housing having a plurality of cover pushers each being moveable between a first and a second position relative to said case, a corresponding one of the neutral camming portions and a corresponding one of the line camming portions and a corresponding one of the ribs being in a retracted position when a corresponding one of said cover pushers is in said first position, each of the cover pushers having pushing means which when said corresponding cover pusher is moved from said first to said second position pushes said corresponding one of the line camming portions and said corresponding one of the neutral camming portions and said corresponding one of the ribs to extended positions wherein said corresponding one of the line cable engaging portion and said corresponding one of the neutral cable engaging portion and said corresponding one of the ground cable engaging portion are engageable with the line wire and the neutral wire and the ground wire of the corresponding one of the continuous outlet cables.     
     
     
       2. The removable electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the line contact means is a one-piece construction. 
     
     
       3. The removable electrical connector as in claim 1 wherein the neutral contact means is a one-piece construction. 
     
     
       4. The removable electrical connector as in claim 3 wherein the line contact means is a one-piece construction. 
     
     
       5. The removable electrical connector as in claim 4 wherein the pushing means projects from an underside of at least one cover pusher. 
     
     
       6. The removable electrical connector as in claim 5 further comprising a latch hook which extends from an underside of the cover and a latch opening formed in the case wherein the latch hook snap fits into the latch opening when the cover is secured to the case. 
     
     
       7. The removable electrical connector as in claim 6 wherein the rotatable plug further includes a top and a bottom for mounting the neutral blade contact and the line blade contact and the ground star contact.